Pierce Charles
Northern Ireland association football player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pierce Joseph Charles (born 21 July 2005) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers on loan from Premier League club Manchester City. Born in England, he plays for the Northern Ireland national team.[3]
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Pierce Charles playing for Northern Ireland in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pierce Joseph Charles[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 July 2005 | ||
| Place of birth | Manchester, England | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Queens Park Rangers (on loan from Manchester City) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2021 | Manchester City | ||
| 2021–2024 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024–2026 | Sheffield Wednesday | 27 | (0) |
| 2026– | Manchester City | 0 | (0) |
| 2026– | → Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021 | Northern Ireland U17 | 2 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Northern Ireland U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 2024 | Northern Ireland U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2024– | Northern Ireland | 12 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13:34, 2 May 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 08:10, 9 June 2026 (UTC) | |||
Career
Sheffield Wednesday
Charles was in the youth set-up at Manchester City prior to joining up with Sheffield Wednesday in 2021.[4] From the age of 16 years–old he began to train occasionally with the Sheffield Wednesday first team during the 2021–22 season and was subsequently included in the senior squad summer training camps in 2022.[5] In October 2022, he signed a three–year professional contract with the club.[6] On 25 January 2024, manager Danny Röhl confirmed Charles would make his debut in the FA Cup against Coventry City, due to the injury of senior goalkeeper Cameron Dawson and cup-tied James Beadle.[7] On his senior debut, Wednesday drew 1–1 with Coventry.[8] Following the end of the 2023–24 season, Charles signed a new contract with the club.[9]
He made his league debut on 29 March 2025, playing the full game in a 1–1 draw against Cardiff City.[10] After the game, manager Danny Röhl said the club have "two number ones now" suggesting Charles would be number 1 with James Beadle for the remainder of the season.[11] He played six times in April, winning the club's player of the month award for that month, with his composure in possession and shot-stopping abilities being highlighted.[12]
Ahead of the 2025–26 season, he was handed the number 1 shirt.[13] After starting the first 3 games of the season, Charles picked up a shoulder injury which would require surgery, resulting in a spell on the sidelines.[14][15][16] He made his league return against Blackburn Rovers in December, however the game was abandoned due to rain.[17] In January 2026, Charles picked up another shoulder injury in the FA Cup game against Brentford, the opposite shoulder which required surgery earlier in the season.[18][19] It was expected that this injury would see him out for a further two months of the season.[20][21] On 7 March, Charles returned to the starting lineup for the first time since January against Derby County.[22]
Manchester City
On 10 July 2026, Charles returned to Manchester City five years after being released, signing for an undisclosed fee, believed to be for an initial £3 million, potentially raising to beyond £10 million, signing a five-year deal.[23][24] He was immediately loaned out to Championship club Queens Park Rangers on loan for the 2026–27 season.[25][26]
International career
A Northern Ireland youth international,[27] being eligible via his Northern Irish mother,[28] he made his debut for the Northern Ireland U19 side in March 2023, against Norway U19.[29] He received his first senior Northern Ireland call up on 20 May 2024,[30] subsequently making his senior debut against Belarus on 12 October 2024.[31]
Personal life
Career statistics
Club
- As of end of 2025–26 season
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2023–24[33] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | |
| 2024–25[34] | Championship | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26[35] | Championship | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| Total | 27 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||
| Manchester City | 2026–27[36] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Queens Park Rangers (loan) | 2026–27[36] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 27 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||
International
- As of 8 June 2026
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Ireland | 2024 | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 0 | |